


A Gingerbread House

by Feathercorn



Category: Star vs. The Forces Of Evil
Genre: Awkward Crush, Christmas, Christmas Party, F/M, Fluff, Gingerbread House, Holding Hands, Late at Night, Magic, Traditions, Wholesome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-02
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:47:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27845500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Feathercorn/pseuds/Feathercorn
Summary: The Christmas party Star had planned was fantastic.After everyone left, though, Marco and Star decided to burn the midnight oil to finish their gingerbread house.
Relationships: Star Butterfly & Marco Diaz, Star Butterfly/Marco Diaz
Kudos: 10





	A Gingerbread House

A guitar rendition of Greensleeves, performed by a radio, lulled the teenagers Marco Diaz and Star Butterfly as they constructed a gingerbread house together in the dim light of the living room.

The two worked in such solitude as fills a space after partygoers have dispersed.

The evidence of their pre-Christmas celebration would not be cleaned till tomorrow; the red and green confetti would fleck the hard floor, the fragrant vanilla cake would stand dismembered and enticing on the table, and the empty yet greasy pizza box would pretend to be an extra couch cushion until it was remembered not to belong.

Despite everything that would remain undone that night, Marco and Star were determined not to go to bed without finishing what they'd set out to do that very morning: build a beautiful gingerbread house with their own two hands.

Star saw this as a chance to get a taste of real Earth magic. The icing on the roof magically glinted like sweet, liquid pearl as she pasted it. The smell of cinnamon and ginger on the cookie parts would live in her most magical dreams for years; her nose knew these things.

Slowly, Earth's magic spread up her fingers as she pressed the tiny brown chimney into place.

Marco saw this as a chance to do his part for the family's Christmas. He was guilty that Star had organized the whole pre-Christmas party by herself even though she was technically a guest, and that his parents were buying all the presents as usual. In the spirit of fairness, Marco did have an essay due after winter break, which neither snow nor jingle bells would keep him from polishing to perfection, and Marco had indeed spent the past two weeks researching and drafting this magnum opus of his. But as Christmas approached he felt guiltier, until at last he had told Star about gingerbread houses and offered to build one with her.

He held up the tube of frosting and squeezed a festive ring of faux snow onto the mouth of the chimney that Star had just pasted.

Star's eyes widened gleefully, and Marco smiled at their gingerbread house. It was magnificent. It was complete.

Marco's smile faded. "Uh... I think we goofed it up a bit," he said, peeking in the gingerbread house's window.

The gingerbread fridge's door was open.

Star, still glowing with satisfaction, butted in to look in the window too. "Aw, look! It's like the gingerbread man forgot to shut the fridge! He's gonna have to pay extra gumdrops to the power company..."

Marco looked at Star, growing stiffer in his joints. "I gotta close it. It'll keep me up all night if that tiny cookie fridge stays open."

He reached his hand to try and pry the roof, but Star grabbed the cuff of his sleeve. "No, Marco! We worked so hard on it!"

Marco pulled back his hand, visually measuring the openings on the little gingerbread windows to ascertain whether a straw could be inserted to shut the fridge. "I have to open the house, Star. There's no way a straw would fit through those windows. Maybe if we find a paper clip and straighten it—"

Star sighed. "Ugh, look, I've got a spell that can help us close the fridge without destroying our wonderful, sugary rafters or punching in the windows. I can just shrink us. Here, hold my hand."

Her command startled Marco.

It was not at all rare for them to hold hands. After all, it was a practical means of staying together when fleeing a monster or helping one another climb during interdimensional excursions. Hardly a day went by in which their fingers hadn't innocently touched for the sheer utility of it. Jackie wouldn't mind if she knew about any of that. But here...

Marco felt—in this late night quietude, with the sound of holiday music—that it was a long journey from being held by the cuff as he currently was to clasping palms with Star Butterfly.

Star noticed his hesitation. She clumsily pretended that holding hands was unremarkable for them in this situation; she offered her hand, fingers dusted with sugar and crumbs. But she still felt ashamed for using the spell as a pretense for holding hands with Marco on a toasty winter night. Nevermind that the spell required them to be touching one another; she had an ulterior motive, and, in the awkwardness, a blush tinged the hearts on her cheeks and her eyes cast down. "The shrinking spell needs us to touch hands, so..." she began.

"R-right," said Marco. "So it only affects the caster and anyone... er... directly touching the caster? A contiguous-range spell." Marco had learned a bit of Mewman magical terminology since meeting Star and studying her book.

"Yup-eroo," Star chimed.

A few seconds passed to the sound of a gentle choral piece which had at some point replaced Greensleeves.

Marco finally grabbed Star's hand, wincing at the tangible electricity of such a touch in such a situation. Star managed a smile.

In a matter of moments, Marco felt the fetters of awkwardness melt away like warmed snow. They were, after all, best friends, and each understood that there was a special kind of Earth magic between them. They both grinned at each other.

"Are you... ready to get tiny?" Star said, still blushing.

"You better believe it!" Marco laughed.

With a wave of her magic wand, Star shrunk them down to the size of coffee mugs, and they raced like young puppies to see who could close the gingerbread door first. It was an adventure, however small. Jackie wouldn't mind if she knew.

THE END.


End file.
